Handling means for a cable termination housing having stress isolating means between the housing and the handling means

ABSTRACT

An electric cable termination housing is provided with an integral handling means mounted thereon in the form of a hook stick receiving handle that is mounted on one end of a resilient, flexible cylinder, which in turn is fastened to the termination housing. The resilient cylinder between the termination housing and the handling means serves to isolate from the housing stresses applied to the handle when a hook stick is used to manipulate the termination housing by applying force to the handle at a variety of different angles.

[4 Feb.29,1972

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m m m B A .H. U M ve n m a. m m a w m mm m m n E Q n e 08 mm. e .1 s m An M U H An electric cable termination housing is provided with anintegral handling means mounted thereon in the form of a hook stickreceiving handle that is mounted on one end of a resilient [21] Appl.No.:

, flexible cylinder, which in turn is fastened to the terminationhousing. The resilient cylinder between the termination housing and thehandling means serves to isolate from the 339/110, 108, 60 101 102,housing stresses applied to the handle when a hook stick is 45 used tomanipulate the termination housing by applying force to the handle at avariety of different angle 521 U.S.Cl..... 51 1m.c|.. 5s FieldofSearch al a ma g l m m N m M A .a w s E m M e .m H m m U N U U HANEDLlNG MEANSFOR A CABLE TERMINATKON HOUSING HAVIING STRESS llSOLATlING MEANS BET-WTHE HOUSENG AND THE HANDMNG MEANS In the field of high-voltage powerdistribution, it has become common practice for linemen to manipulateenergized high-voltage cables by grasping the cables with suitablehotsticks or other insulating means that are adapted to protect thelineman from possible electrical shock, while also affording adequatemanual control of the cable during its manipulation. To accomplish suchobjectives, it is also well known to provide high-voltage cabletermination housings with hotstick rings or other suitable handlingmeans, which provide surfaces having configurations that can be easilyand securely grasped by the pivotal hooks of a linemans hotstick, thusassuring a positive locking engagement between the hotsticks and suchhousings when they are being manipulated.

A major disadvantage encountered in such prior art hotstick ringarrangements was that they were frequently destroyed or badly damagedwhen a hotstick was twisted at a sharp angle with respect to thetermination housing on which the ring was mounted, while the hooks ofdie stick were locked to the ring. Therefore, to prevent such damage itwas necessary for a lineman to always exercise care to make sure thathis hotstick was maintained in proper alignment with the hotstick ringor other handling means on the termination housing. Since cableterminations, particularly those used on underground distributionsystems, often must be manipulated in relatively confining areas, suchas those available in underground distribution transformer vaults, it isoften very difiicult or nearly impossible for a lineman to maintain suchproper alignment of his hotstick with the hotstick ring on thetermination housing, so damage to the rings frequently occurs.

Another disadvantage of prior art handling means for cable terminationhousings was that hotstick rings frequently were formed of flexiblematerial that was adapted to stretch significantly when a hotstick waslocked into the handling means and pulled sharply to manipulate thetermination housing in a given direction. Such resilient rings were, infact, deemed to be an advantage in some applications, because theresilience of the ring imparted a snap-action movement to thetermination housing when a hotstick engaged with it was jerked rapidlyaway from the housing. For example, in US. Pat. No. 3,4 74,386 Link,issued Oct. 2 l 1969, it is explained that such a snap-action isdesirable in manipulating a cable termination housing in a load-breakoperation, because the rate of circuit interruption is accelerated, thusreducing the duration of an are formed between the contacts beingseparated.

A further disadvantage of prior art flexible handling means for cabletermination housing wm that they did not transmit a uniform manipulatingforce from a hotstick to the housing for all angular degrees of movementof the handling means.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cable terminationhandling means that overcomes the foregoing disadvantages of handlingmeans known in the prior art.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cable terminationhousing with an integral handling means resiliently mounted thereon in amanner such that stresses applied to the handling means are absorbed ina resilient coupling means, which operates to prevent such stresses fromdamaging either the termination housing or the handling means.

A further objective of the invention is to provide a cable terminationhandling means that can be flexibly manipulated to transmit force from alinemans hotstick to a termination housing through a limited range ofangles, without damaging the handling means.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cable terminationhandling means that has a limited amount of resilience so that only acontrolled snap-action is generated by the handling means when ahotstick engaged therewith is jerked rapidly away from the terminationhousing.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a stressisolatingmeans between a cable termination housing and a termination-handlingmeans, such that the handling means can be freely moved in a limitedangular range, but it is not easily mechanically distorted by a linemanshotstick applying pressure in other angular directions to the handlingmeans.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a handling means fora cable termination housing that enables transmission of a uniformmanipulating force therethrough independent of the angular displacementof the handling means with respect to the housing.

In one preferred form of the invention, a cable termination housing isprovided with a handling means in the form of an elastomerichotstick-receiving ring having a metal plate embedded therein to limitthe stretchability of the ring. In addition, a resilient coupling meansin the form of a cylindrically shaped body of elastomeric material ismounted between the termination housing and the hotstick-receiving ringto isolate stresses applied to the ring from the housing. In someembodiments of the invention, the cylindrically shaped resilientcoupling means has one or more relatively rigid discs embedded in it inorder to stiffen portions of the coupling means so that they are notdistorted by the locking apparatus of a linemans hotstick when such astick is engaged with the termination handling means.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description taken in conjunction with the appendedclaims and the attached drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electric power cable terminationhousing having a handling means and a resilient coupling means mountedon it pursuant to my invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the invention shown in FIG. I,illustrated with respect to a portion of a conventional linemanshotstick of a type normally used to manipulate such cable terminationhousings.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, partly in cross section, of a portion of acable termination housing similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2illustrating a second embodiment of a termination handling means andresilient coupling of my invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of several component parts of a cabletermination handling means and resilient coupling means constructedpursuant to yet another embodiment of my invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing wherein the same numbersare used to identify like parts of the apparatus described, there isshown a cable termination housing ll formed of a suitable insulatingelastomeric material that may be of any type that is now well known inthe underground cable termination field. For example, the type ofelastomeric insulating material discussed in the above-identified U.S.Pat. No. 3,474,386 is suitable for forming such a termination housing.in order to uniformly distribute and contain the electric field presentaround the high-voltage contacts 2 and 3 embedded in housing 1, theentire exterior surface of the housing 1 is covered with a flexiblesemiconductive coating 4 (see FIG. 3). This coating 4 may be formed by ahigh temperature molding process that bonds it to the insulating body 5(see FIG. 3) in a manner well known in the present art, or by any othersuitable means. Additional information regarding such high temperaturebonding techniques may be obtained from a reading of U.S. Pat. No.3,243,756 Ruete, which issued Mar. 29, I966, and which discloses a cabletermination housing having a conductive coating bonded to its outersurface.

Pursuant to the present invention, a handling means 6 in the form of ahotstick-engageable ring 7 is mounted adjacent the housing 1 by beingbonded to the upper surface of a resilient coupling means 8 comprising agenerally cylindrically shaped body of elastomeric material that ismounted on the body of insulating material 5 of housing 1. In theembodiment of my invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the resilientcoupling means 8 is formed in a molding process integrally with theinsulating body 5 of housing I and with the ring 7 of handling means 6.The length of the cylinder 8 comprising the resilient coupling means isideally between one-eighth of an inch and one-half inch so that it willnot be unduly distorted from its generally cylindrical form when forceis transmitted to it from handling means 7. in addition, as can be seenin FlG. 2 of the drawing, the resilient coupling means g comprises areduced diameter portion tie that allows the remaining portion of themeans 8 to be operable to yield within a predetermined range of angularmovement with respect to the body 5 of housing ll when forces aretransmitted to the handling means 7 by movement of the handling meanswhen it is grasped by the books 9 of a lineman s hotstick 19 andmanipulated to bend portion 8a through an angle with respect to thehousing 1. It is important to note that this unique construction enablesthe handling means 7 to yield with a uniform resisting force through theentire range of angular movement of coupling means 8 so that a uniformforce is transmitted to housing 1 for any angular position of couplingmeans 8.

It should be understood that the invention as disclosed herein may beused with any conventional linemans hotstick, but for a furtherunderstanding of the operating principles of such a hotstick, referencemay be had to copending US. Pat. application, Ser. No. 881,564, filedDec. 2, 1969 by Richard F. Propst et al., and assigned to the assigneeof the present invention. As described in that copending application,such a hotstick may include, in addition to pivotal hooks, such as thehooks 9, a hollow cylindrical body 11 the end 110 of which wouldnormally engage the outer surface of resilient coupling means 8 when thehooks 9 of hotstick 10 are engaged with the tool-engageable surfaces ofring 7 of the handling means 6 of the present invention.

When such a coupling is effected between a hotstick l0 and the handlingmeans 6, it will be apparent that the engagement between the resilientcoupling means 8 and the end 110 of cylinder 11 on hotstick 10 willserve to bias the hotstick 10 into alignment with the vertical axis ofthe ring 7. Moreover, if the hotstick 10 is manipulated within apredetermined angular range with respect to the termination 1, thehandling means 7 and resilient coupling means 8 are forced to movesubstantially simultaneously in the same direction so that the forcetransmitted from handle Ill causes the flexible portion 8a of theresilient coupling means 8 to bend so it prevents undue mechanicalstresses from being applied at the junction of handling means 6 and theresilient coupling means 8. Accordingly, the risk of damaging thehandling means 6 is substantially reduced and, at the same time, apositive, forcetransmitting coupling is maintained between the hotstick10 and the body of termination I while the hotstick 10 is beingmanipulated through a variety of different angular positions withrespect to termination 1.

It will be apparent that the diameter of resilient coupling means 8, incombination with the spacing of the enlarged diameter portion thereoffrom the termination 1, serves to define the range of angular movementthrough which a hotstick 10 may be easily manipulated before anundesirably high stress is applied to the ring 7. In a preferred form ofmy invention, the thickness of reduced diameter portion 8a of resilientcoupling means 8 measured along an axis perpendicular to its diameter,falls in a range between one-eighth inch and onehalf inch, but it willbe apparent that in given applications of the invention where more thana 20 angle of relatively free movement for a hotstick 10 is desired,other dimensions for this portion of the invention may be utilized Fromthe discussion of the operation of my invention just given it will beapparent that one of its major advantages is that it affords bettercontrol of a termination manipulating function by a lineman manipulatinghotstick 10 than was possible heretofore with the conventional prior arttype of hotstick engageable ring that was rigidly mounted directly onthe body of a cable termination, such as termination 1. In addition tothis primary advantage, further desirable features of my invention willnow be pointed out with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing.Referring first to FIG. 3, there is shown a second embodiment of theinvention in which component parts similar to those discussed above withreference to FIGS. 1 and 2 are identified with like reference numerals.Thus, a

portion of a termination housing 1 is shown. having mounted thereon agenerally cylindrically shaped resilient coupling means 3 that is formedas an integral part of the molded imitlating body 5 of a termination l,and includes a reduced diameter portion 811. Also bonded to the uppersurface of resilient coupling cylinder 8 is an integrally moldedhotstickengageable ring 7 of a handling means 6. All of these com ponentparts of this embodiment of the invention are formed in the same mannerand perform like functions to those described above with reference toFIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawmg.

In addition to these fundamental components of the invention, thisembodiment of it includes a nonresilient member l2 that is fastened toone surface of the resilient coupling means 8 by being molded in placethereon. Of course, in this molding operation the nonresilient member 12is also coupled to the handling means 6 and is generally interposedbetween handling means 6 and the flexible, reduced diameter portion 8aof resilient coupling means 8. This unique arrangement serves torigidify the resilient coupling means 8 and distribute the stressesapplied to it evenly over the entire cylindrical body thereof, since inthis embodiment of the invention the nonresilient member 12 isdisc-shaped and only slightly less than coextensive with the diameter ofthe resilient coupling means cylinder 8, as seen in FIG. 3. In additionto the stress distributing function of the embedded nonresilient member12, it serves the function of preventing the resilient coupling means 8from being drawn up into a cylinder 11 such as that on a hotstick 10 (asseen in FIG. 2) when the hooks 9 of hotstick 10 are locked in engagementwith ring 7 of handling means 6. This embodiment of the invention alsofurther improves the ability of resilient coupling means 8 to force thelongitudinal axis of a hotstick 10 to be maintained in alignment withthe vertical axis of ring 7 when the hooks 9 are engaged in the toolengageable surfaces of ring 7, in the desirable manner discussed above.Moreover, to vary the ability of limiting the resilience of resilientcoupling means 8, the nonresilient member 12 can be varied in shape orsize to help determine the degree of angular movement through whichresilient coupling means 8 and 8a can be manipulated. Although widevariations in angular movement can thus be achieved, it has been foundin previous experiments with the invention that it is desirable not tolimit the angle of movement of resilient coupling means to less than 10with respect to the body 5 of housing 1, because at least such a rangeof movement is generally desired in manipulating the termination l inconfined underground vaults. It should be understood that thenonresilient member 6, in addition to being variable in configuration,can also be formed of either electrical insulating material such as asuitable plastic resin or of electrically conducting material such ascopper, since its primary function in the present invention is to affordmechanical strength rather than to attain electrical characteristics inhousing 1.

A further improvement of the invention illustrated in the embodimentshown in FIG. 3 comprises a rigid core member l3 that is embedded in theelastomeric material of hook-eye handle ring 7 to reduce the ability ofthe handle 7 to elongate in response to forces transmitted to it by aterminationmanipulating tool such as hotstick 10. In the preferredembodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3 the rigid core member13 is a metal plate having an aperture or groove 13a formed therein andalso having a flattened edge 14 that is ar ranged generally parallel toa flattened surface of nonresilient member 12, when these componentparts of the invention are in their respective positions on terminationhousing ll. This arrangement allows member 13 to force member 12 topivot when force is applied to ring 7 by a hotstick. It will beappreciated that members 12 and 13 can be formed as one integral part ifpreferred in other embodiments of the invention.

In both embodiments of the invention discussed thus far, the resilientcoupling means 8 and handling means 6 are mounted on a cable terminationhousing 1 that is molded in the form of an elbow and they are mountedthereon closely adjacent to the bend of the elbow, on its outer radialsurface. Of course, it will be understood that similar coupling meansand handling means can be mounted on other forms or configurations ofcable termination housings and such modifications are contemplatedwithin the scope of the invention.

Reference is now made specifically to FIG. 4 of the drawing, wherein afurther embodiment of the invention is shown and component parts thereofthat are identical to the component parts shown in FIG. 3 of the drawingare identified with like reference numerals. lt will be understood thatin FIG. 4, although the depicted component parts are shown in therelative asernbled positions that they would maintain on a cabletermination housing, such as termination housing 1, no such housing 3 isshown in H6. 6 in order to simplify the descrip tion of this embodiment.Thus, a rigid core member 13 having a generally flattened edge l4mounted adjacent the upper surface of a disc-shaped nonresilient member12 is shown mounted in spaced-apart relation with respect to anothernonresilient member 15. in this embodiment of the invention, thecylindrically shaped resilient coupling means 8 is further rigidified bypositioning at least a portion of its resilient body between thespaced-apart pair of nonresilient members 12 and 15 thereby to reducethe flexibility of the resilient coupling means 8 even further than itwas reduced in the embodiment of the invention depicted in FIG. 3,wherein only a single nonresilient member 12 was employed. it will thusbe apparent that a resilient coupling means 3 can be strengthened inthis manner to further guard against distortion of the coupling means 3when the hooks 9 of the hotstick 10 are locked within the handling means6 in the manner discussed in detail above with reference to FIG. 2 ofthe drawing. Such stiffening means are often desirable when the lengthof coupling means 8 is increased to enlarge the angle of relatively freemovement of handling means 6; because the coupling means 5 must bemaintained rigid enough to allow fairly positive manipulation of thehousing 1. Of course, if more than two nonresilient members, such asdisc-shaped members 312 and are desired to further stiffen theresilient-coupling means 8, additional members may be molded into theresilient means 8 as described above with reference to member 12 in FIG.3 of the drawing. if desired, the lower nonresilient member 15 may belocated in the reduced-diarneter portion 8a rather than in the largediameter portion of coupling means 8, as shown by phantom disc 15a inFIG. 3.

Additional modifications and embodiments of the invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art and all such embodiments andmodifications are intended to be encompassed within the scope of thefollowing claims.

What i claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis:

l. A voltage grading termination housing for a high-voltage electricalconductor comprising a body of insulating material of predeterminedconfiguration, handling means mounted adjacent said body to providetool-engageable surfaces that are adapted to be grasped by a manuallyoperable terminationmanipulating tool, said handling means comprising ahook-eye handle resilient coupling means comprising a generallycylindrically shaped body of elastomeric material that is mounted onsaid body by thermosetting adhesive means and fastened to said handlingmeans to afford a resilient, force-transmitting and distributingconnection between said handling means and the housing, said resilientcoupling means being constructed as to be operable to yield within apredetermined range of angular movement with respect to said body whensubjected to forces transmitted to it from said handling means due tomovement thereof when the handling means is operably grasped and movedby a termination-manipulating tool, thereby to distribute said forcesover an area of said body of insulating material to reduce the risk ofsaid body of insulating material being torn.

2, An invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said coupling means exertsa substantially uniform force to the housing through the entire range ofangular movement of said coupling means.

3. An invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said nonresilient memberis disc-shaped and said body of elastomeric material is generallycylindrical in configuration, one end of said generally cylindrical bodyof elastomeric material being fastened to a flattened surface of saiddisc-shaped nonresilient member.

4. A voltage grading termination housing for a high voltage electricalconductor comprising a body of insulating material of predetemiinedconfiguration molded around a pair of electrically interconnectedelectrical contacts, handling means mounted adjacent said body toprovide tool-engageable surfaces that are adapted to be grasped by amanually operable tennination-manipulating tool, resilient couplingmeans mounted on said body and fastened to said handling means to afforda resilient, force-transmitting connection between said handling meansand the housing, said resilient coupling mews being constructed as to beoperable to yield within a predetermined range of angular movement withrespect to said body when subjected to forces transmitted to it fromsaid handling means due to movement thereof when the handling means isoperably grasped and moved by a termination-manipulating too], saidresilient coupling means comprising a body of elastomeric material thatis mounted on said body of insulated material, and includes anonresilient member that is fastened to a surface of said body ofelastomeric material, said nonresilient member also being coupled tosaid handling means thereby to interpose a relatively rigidstress-distributing member between said handle means and said body ofelastomeric material.

5. An invention as defined in claim 4 wherein said handling meanscomprises a hook-eye handle formed of elastomeric material, saidcylindrical body of elastomeric material being sufficiently long andflexible to allow the disc-shaped, nonresilient member to be movedthrough an angular range of at least 10 responsive to a bending forcebeing transrriitted to it from said hook-eye handle before theelastomeric material of said handle is stretched beyond a predeterminedlimit of its elasticity by a torsion force applied to it from aterminationmanipulating tool.

6. An invention as defined in claim 5 wherein said termination housing,said coupling means and said handling means comprise component parts ofan integral termination housing that is formed of thermosetting,moldable elastomeric material.

7. An invention as defined in claim 6 wherein said nonresilient membercomprises a disc of electrical insulating material embedded in a coatingof elastomeric material that forms an integral part of said terminationhousing.

8. An invention as defined in claim 7 including a rigid core memberembedded in the elastomeric material of said hookeye handle thereby toreduce the ability of said handle to elongate in response to forcestransmitted to it by a temiinationmanipulating tool.

9. An invention as defined in claim 8 wherein said rigid core member isa metal plate having an aperture therein and having a flattened edgethat generally parallels a flattened surface of said disc-shapednonresilient member when said components are in their respectiveassembled positions on said termination housing, and said disc-shapednonresilient member comprises a metal plate.

10. An invention as defined in claim 6 wherein said predeterminedconfiguration for said termination housing forms an elbow, said handlingmeans being mounted on one leg of said elbow closely adjacent the bendtherein and on the outer radial surface thereof.

11. An invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said resilient couplingmeans includes a second nonresilient member mounted in spaced-apartrelation with respect to the other nonresilient member therein, wherebyat least a portion of the body of elastic material is positioned betweensaid nonresilient members to thereby reduce the flexibility of saidresilient coupling means.

1. A voltage grading termination housing for a high-voltage electricalconductor comprising a body of insulating material of predeterminedconfiguration, handling means mounted adjacent said body to providetool-engageable surfaces that are adapted to be grasped by a manuallyoperable termination-manipulating tool, said handling means comprising ahook-eye handle resilient coupling means comprising a generallycylindrically shaped body of elastomeric material that is mounted onsaid body by thermosetting adhesive means and fastened to said handlingmeans to afford a resilient, force-transmitting and distributingconnection between said handling means and the housing, said resilientcoupling means being constructed as to be operable to yield within apredetermined range of angular movement with respect to said body whensubjected to forces transmitted to it from said handling means due tomovement thereof when the handling means is operably grasped and movedby a terminationmanipulating tool, thereby to distribute said forcesover an area of said body of insulating material to reduce the risk ofsaid body of insulating material being torn.
 2. An invention as definedin claim 1 wherein said coupling means exerts a substantially uniformforce to the housing through the entire range of angular movement ofsaid coupling means.
 3. An invention as defined in claim 3 wherein saidnonresilient member is disc-shaped and said body of elastomeric materialis generally cylindrical in configuration, one end of said generallycylindrical body of elastomeric material being fastened to a flattenedsurface of said disc-shaped nonresilient member.
 4. A voltage gradingtermination housing for a high voltage electrical conductor comprising abody of insulating material of predetermined configuration molded arounda pair of electrically interconnected electrical contacts, handlingmeans mounted adjacent said body to provide tool-engageable surfacesthat are adapted to be grasped by a manually operabletermination-manipulating tool, resilient coupling means mounted on saidbody and fastened to said handling means to afford a resilient,force-transmitting connection between said handling means and thehousing, said resilient coupling means being constructed as to beoperable to yield within a predetermined range of angular movement withrespect to said body when subjected to forces transmitted to it fromsaid handling means due to movement thereof when the handling means isoperably grasped and moved by a termination-manipulating tool, saidresilient coupling means comprising a body of elastomeric material thatis mounted on said body of insulated material, and includes anonresilient member that is fastened to a surface of said body ofelastomeric material, saiD nonresilient member also being coupled tosaid handling means thereby to interpose a relatively rigidstress-distributing member between said handle means and said body ofelastomeric material.
 5. An invention as defined in claim 4 wherein saidhandling means comprises a hook-eye handle formed of elastomericmaterial, said cylindrical body of elastomeric material beingsufficiently long and flexible to allow the disc-shaped, nonresilientmember to be moved through an angular range of at least 10* responsiveto a bending force being transmitted to it from said hook-eye handlebefore the elastomeric material of said handle is stretched beyond apredetermined limit of its elasticity by a torsion force applied to itfrom a termination-manipulating tool.
 6. An invention as defined inclaim 5 wherein said termination housing, said coupling means and saidhandling means comprise component parts of an integral terminationhousing that is formed of thermosetting, moldable elastomeric material.7. An invention as defined in claim 6 wherein said nonresilient membercomprises a disc of electrical insulating material embedded in a coatingof elastomeric material that forms an integral part of said terminationhousing.
 8. An invention as defined in claim 7 including a rigid coremember embedded in the elastomeric material of said hook-eye handlethereby to reduce the ability of said handle to elongate in response toforces transmitted to it by a termination-manipulating tool.
 9. Aninvention as defined in claim 8 wherein said rigid core member is ametal plate having an aperture therein and having a flattened edge thatgenerally parallels a flattened surface of said disc-shaped nonresilientmember when said components are in their respective assembled positionson said termination housing, and said disc-shaped nonresilient membercomprises a metal plate.
 10. An invention as defined in claim 6 whereinsaid predetermined configuration for said termination housing forms anelbow, said handling means being mounted on one leg of said elbowclosely adjacent the bend therein and on the outer radial surfacethereof.
 11. An invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said resilientcoupling means includes a second nonresilient member mounted inspaced-apart relation with respect to the other nonresilient membertherein, whereby at least a portion of the body of elastic material ispositioned between said nonresilient members to thereby reduce theflexibility of said resilient coupling means.